U.S. magazine awards create 12 online categories, but will give them away at lunch

For some time, there has been discussion around the board table at Canada's National Magazine Awards Foundation about having an online awards component of some kind. This was more or less scooped when Masthead launched its own online awards this year (disclosure: I was one of the judges). Still, it seems weird that with so many magazines having an online aspect that this is not recognized by this prestigious awards event.

Now, it seems, the "Ellies" -- the U.S. national magazine awards operated by the American Society of Magazine Editors -- has added 12 new categories to cover online media. But,according to a story in the New York Times, like the Oscars and their notorious "technical achievement awards", the online awards won't be awarded at the annual May awards gala but in a separate event, as part of a luncheon at a March magazine conference.